At least some known laminated composite articles are made from shaped charges of prepreg composite material that includes reinforcement fibers, such as carbon fibers, pre-impregnated with resin. The charges, each approximating the shape of the part, are cut from prepreg plies using high-cost computer-numerically-controlled (“CNC”) equipment and must be stacked manually with much care to achieve the requisite alignment of the reinforcement fibers within the part, which increases process cycle time and manufacturing cost.
Moreover, the ability to achieve the requisite alignment of the reinforcement fibers within the stack is limited in many cases, at least in part because the prepreg composite material is tacky, causing difficulty in aligning the edges of each successive charge during layup. Misalignment of the charge edges leads to corresponding misalignment in relative fiber orientations between adjacent charges in the stack, resulting in a final part that may not meet design specifications for strength and stiffness.